Air Water set to build Biomass Power Plant in Fukushima

Japan’s industrial gas supplier – Air Water is planning to invest 20 billion yen ($181 million) in a biomass power plant in Fukushima Prefecture. The plant, expected to be one of the biggest biomass power plants in Japan, will have a capacity to produce 75,000kW of electricity.

With a projected start date in 2020, the plant is at par with the biomass power plants built by Sumitomo Corp in Aichi Prefecture, eRex and Kyushu Electric Power subsidiary’s project in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Expected to be the largest domestic power generator, the plant will consume only biomass feedstock. The Osaka based company plans to procure feedstock such as coconut shells, etc., that are produced as waste by palm oil factories in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as wood pellets from Southeast Asia, North America and other places.

Air Water plans to sell the electricity mainly to Tohoku Electric Power under the feed-in tariff system for renewable energy. Biomass power generators (that consumes coconut shells and imported materials) are allowed to sell 1 kw per hour of electricity for 24 yen for two decades.

The company is also considering selling power to newer retail electricity providers or use it in group operations.

Apart from this biomass power plant, Air Water also plans to build a co-fired plant using both biomass and coal in Yamaguchi Prefecture – in a joint venture with Chugoku Electric Power.

More on Japan’s biomass power projects at 8th Biomass Pellets Trade & Power on 15-18 May, 2017 in Tokyo.

For more information about the conference, contact Ms. Hafizah Adam at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sgor call (65) 6346 9218.